Ratchet wrench



' y 1,639,078 J. E. coE

RATCHET WRENCH Aug. 16, 1927.

Filed March 14, 1925 f Inventor JOHN ECOE )its Attorneu Patented Aug.16, 1927.

UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE.

RATCHET WRENCH.

Application led March 14, 1925. Serial No. 15,663.

This invention relates to an improvement in a ratchet wrench, and moreparticularly to a socket wrench of the reversible type and to the meansby which the reversible feature is obtained.

lVhile ratchet wrenches of the reversible type are not new, thosepreviously made are objectionable `because of the number of partsemployed, and of the difficulty of assemblying the wrench. v

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide areversible ratchet wrench which. has a minimum number of parts and whichcan be quickly and easily assembled with a minimum amount of handling.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a wrench of thistype means against which the dog controlling spring rests and which alsoacts to assist in the assemblying of the. parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide means against which thedog controlling spring rests and which, by reason of its construction,will supplement the action of the spring in holding the dog in thedesired position.

Other objects of this invention will appear from a consideration of thefollowing description talren in connection with the drawings which forma part thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wrench providedwith spring resting means made in accordance with this invention:

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of a wrench embodying one form of thisinvention, one side plate being removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; l l' Fig. 4 isa cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, butillustrating both side plates in position;

Figs.' 5 and 6 are detailed views of one form of spring supporting platethat may be employed;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating another form of thisinvention and showing the dog in one'of its tooth engaging positions;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the dog in t-he other of itsvtooth engaging positions; `v

Fig. 9 is a perspective yview of the spring supporting means;` andv Fig.10 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 is employed todesignate a wrench of the rotary type comprising side plates 11, 12within which the mechanism is enclosed. One end of the wrench isenlargedto receive a ratchet wheel 13, the

ends 14 and 1 5 of which project through and beyond the outer faces ofthe platesll and 12,

The platesrll and l2 are joined after the parts have been assembled, aswill be described below, by suitable rivets 16, 17, and, 18 or othersuitable securing means. On th A wheel 13 between the plates 11y and 12is formed a gear 19 which is engaged, as shown4 in the drawing, by a dog20 pivoted preferably upon the rivet 18. Following the general practicethe plates 11 and 12 are provided with abutting ianges 21 whichterminate at approximately the rivetL 18, so that while the gear 19 isbetween the plates 11 and 12, it isv not enclosed at the sides as shownin Fig. 3. The structure described thusv far is old and well knownandforms no particular, part of this invention.

The flanges 21 of each plate 11 and 12 are cut transversely at 22, andtongues .2S-are indented, as shown in Figs. v2 and 3. Against the endsof the tongues 23 rests a plate 24, which is of a length substantiallytheJ distance between the flanges 21 so that the plate 24 cannot passbetweenv the tongues. The plate 24 being, as shown particularly in Fig.4, of a size to fill the space between the platesll and 12, thus forms atransverse barrier between the two parts of thev wrench. Since both theplates 1l and 12 are provided with the indented tongues 28v the plate 24rests against the ends of bothV tongues,V and thus acts as a guide incooperation with the rivet 18 to insure the proper location of theplates. This also insures the location ofthe plate 24 at right angles tothe outer faces of the wrench 10. The plate 24 is cut away at the centerto provide an integral finger 25, which isA bent at right anglesto thebody of the plate, as shownA particularly in Figs, 5 and'6. i The dog.2O is of the usual. substantially triangular construction having ears 26which engage the teeth of the gear' 1 9 in the usual manner. Inaccordance with the well known practice, a spring. 27 is provided whichwill hold the dog in its gear engaging positions; i. e. with either ear26vin mesh with the gear teeth. One end of the spring 27 extends. overthe. finger 25 in. the. Plate 24., which actsasi an anchor for that.`end of the spring, while the other end extends over the apex 28 of thedog 20. Since the plate 2a and its finger 25 are stationary, the end ofthe spring engaging the finger is at all times stationary, whereas theend of the spring engaging the apex 28 is moved from one side to theother of the center line of the wrench as defined by the rivets 16, 17,and 18.

The dog is thus held by the spring in either of its gear engagingportions and any movement of the dog will tend to compress the spring27. lVhile the operation of the wrench in one direction will cause thegear to pass the engaging ear 26, the spring 27 will return the ear intoengagement with the succeeding notch of the gear, and will not permitthe dog to shift out of its desired position unless the dog ispositively actuated so that the apex 28 crosses the center line of thewrench at which time the other ear 26 will be brought into engagementwith the gear. The dog is so actuated manually by pr-essing upon the earout of engagement with the gear and pivoting the dog 2O on the rivet 18.

The embodiment'shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 differs from thatpreviously described and set forth in the particular form of supportused for the spring 27. In place of the indented tongues 23 of the firstembodiment I have provided indented tongues 30, which are substantiallyopposite the apex 28 of the dog 20. The spring supporting means in thisembodiment comprises a flat spring strip 31, the ends 32 of which arehooked over the ends of the tongues 30, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Sincethe tongues 30 are indented, the ends of the strip 31 will not projectbeyond the flanges 21 and will not strike the hand of the operator.`

The strip 31 is preferably made in the form of a W, as shown in Fig.9,the center portion 33 forming an anchor for the spring 27. One end ofthe spring 27 is slipped over the anchor 33, and the other end over theapex 28 of the dog 20.

When the dog 20 is shifted from one position to the other, this movementcauses the anchor 33 to shift similarly fronr one side to the other ofthe wrench, so that the anchor 33 and the apex 28 are at all times inthe same plane parallel to the center line. 'Thus in each position thespring is substantially parallel to the line of force, and any movementof the dog causes a direct axial compression of the spring. The tongues30 are provided in the flanges 21 of both side plates 11 and 12, so thatthe ends 32 of the support thus function, like the plate 24, to guidethe plates 11 and 12 to their proper position.

, Since the spring 27 is in this embodiment substantially straight inboth positions of the dog 20, it is a very simple operation for thewmllrmen to assemble the parts in posi.-

tion because the necessity of both compressing and binding laterally thespring is not present. Instead the spring is slipped over the anchor 33,the dog being in either of its gear engaging positions, and when thespring is compressed the anchor will shift to the same side of thecenter line, as the apex 28, so that the spring can be quickly andeasily slipped over the apex.

The parts are first assembled, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or 6 and 7, therivetsl 16 and 17 being omitted, and then th-e plate 11 is applied. Theplate 11 is properly located by means of the end 14 of the Wheel 13, therivet 18, and the spring supporting means, the end portions of thelatter which project above the flanges 21 of the plate 12 engaging theindented tongues of the upper plate. The rivets 16 and 17 are theninserted through the side plates and all three rivets are headed over tosecure the side plates together and enclose the wheel, dog, spring, andspring supporting means.

In place of fastening the spring 27 to a post at right angles to thespring by slipping an end loop over the post, the spring in eacliembodiment is supported upon a projecting anchor parallel to the longway of the spring, and which enters the coils of the spring. The anchornot only holds the spring against the apex of the dog, but also keepsthe end of the spring equi-distant from the side plates 11 and 12 and soeliminates any lateral shifting or undue friction between the sideplates and the spring.

lVhile two embodiments of this invention have been shown and described,applicant is not limited thereto, since it is obvious that otherembodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis invention as set forth in the following claims. y

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which Idesire pro tection by Letters Patent is:

1. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising side plates, a wheel carriedby and at one end of said plates, a pivoted dog having an apex and twoears, each ear adapted to engage said wheel and permit its movement inone direction only, the direction depending upon which ear of the dogengages the wheel, a spring, one end of which presses against the apexof said dog to hold it with either ear in engagement with said wheel,said dog and spring being enclosed between said plates, tongues inwardlyprojecting from said side plates, means resting against said tongues forreceiving and supporting the other end of said spring, said means beingheld by said spring against aid tongues and out of contact with saidogs.

2. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising side plates, a wheel carriedby and at one end of said plates, a pivoted dog having an apex and twoears, each ear adapted to en-- ing held by said spring against saidtongues and out of contact with said dog and including an anchor whichprojects into the coils of said spring.

8. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising side plates, a wheel carriedby and at one end of said plates, a pivoted dog having any apex and twoears, each ear adapted to engage said wheel and permit its movement inone direction only, the direction depending upon which ear of the dogengagesthe wheel, a spring, one end of which presses against the apex ofsaid dog to hold it with either ear in engagement with said wheel, saiddog and spring being enclosed between said plates, tongues inwardlyprojecting lfrom said side plates, and a spring strip in the form of theletter W for receiving andsupporting the other end of said spring, saidstrip resting against said tongues.

4t. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising side plates, a wheel carriedby and at one end of said plates, a pivoted dog having an apex and twoears, each ear adapted to engage said wheel and permit its movement inone direction only, the direction depending upon which ear of' the dogengages the wheel, a spring, one endof which vpresses against the apexof said dog to hold it with either ear in engagement with said wheel,

said do and spring being enclosed between said pates, tongues inwardlyprojecting from said side plates, and aspring strip in the form of theletter W forreceiving and supporting the other end of said spring, the

ends of said strip engaging said tongues and the center portion actingas an anchor which projects into the coils of said spring.

5. A reversible ratchet wrench comprising side plates, a wheel carriedby and at one end of said plates, a pivoted dog having an apex and twoears, each adapted to engage said wheel and permit its movement in onedirection only, the direction depending `upon which ear of the dogengages the wheel, aA

spring, one end of which presses against the apex of said dog to hold itwith either ear in engagementv with said wheel, said dog and springbeing enclosed between said plates, and flexible means for receiving andsupporting said spring. Y*

6. A reversible ratchet wrench comprisingl side plates, a wheel carriedby and at oneY end of said plates, a pivoted dog having an apex and twoears, each adapted to engage said wheel and permit its movement in onedirection only, the direction depending upon which ear of the dogengages the wheel, a spring, one end vof which presses against the apexof said dog to hold it with either ear j in engagement with said wheel,said dog and spring being enclosed between said plates, and flexiblemeans for receiving and supporting said sprin ,said means including ananchor', which projects into the coils of said spring and shiftslaterally when the dog is swung on its pivot from one wheel engagingposition to the other in unison with the apex, lwhereby said spring iskept substantially straight in both positions of said dog.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

, JOHN E. COE.

